In hospitality facilities, particularly patient care facilities, televisions are often integrated into the room in unique ways that are different from conventional consumer environments, using remote control and sound distribution systems that differ from conventional consumer environments in private homes.
For example, in a patient care facility, patients are often bedridden or otherwise unable or have limited ability to move, and as a result, remote control systems are necessary. Furthermore, patients often share rooms as a cost-saving and safety measure, and as a result, sound distribution from the television is often placed closer to the patient to reduce the ambient noise in the patient rooms utilizing a localized sound distribution device, such as a pillow speaker. Moreover, in patient care facilities, often the sound distribution system and remote control system can be integrated into one unit that performs both functions.
Furthermore, in some conventional personal area networking devices, such as Bluetooth® wireless headsets, the personal area networking device may receive an audio signal from and transmit command instructions to a transmitting device (e.g., a Bluetooth® transmitter) utilizing interface circuitry connected to a transmitter in compliance with a wireless communication protocol, to communicate with a compliant transmitter/transmitting source (e.g., a device configured to transmit and receive data using the Bluetooth® wireless communication protocol). However, these conventional systems generally comprise an individualized sound reproduction device, such as a headset, where one or more speakers of the device are positioned proximate a user's ear, and a front and back surface of the one or more speakers are generally unenclosed.
A Bluetooth® communication protocol generally defines a command format through which Bluetooth® devices compliant with the communication protocol may interface. For example, the Bluetooth® Advanced Audio Profile (A2DP) generally provides a command format through which stereo and/or mono audio signals may be communicated from a Bluetooth® transmitting device to a Bluetooth® reproduction device. Similarly, the Bluetooth® Audio Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) generally provides a command format through which commands for remotely controlling a Bluetooth® transmitting device. While a Bluetooth® communication protocol may be occasionally revised, the commands comprising the command format generally remain unchanged from revision to revision. For example, the Bluetooth® A2DP 2.0 profile and the Bluetooth® AVRCP Revision V13 (approved Apr. 16, 2007) and/or V14r00 (approved Jun. 26, 2008) reflect updated versions of each profile where many commands remain unchanged. The Bluetooth® A2DP profile and the Bluetooth® AVCRP profile are incorporated in their entirety herein.
However, a significant need continues to exist for improved localized sound distribution and control systems.